Invictus
by Sir Cameron Dragic
Summary: A story of a desperate ex-prince and a lonely queen. When Hans is sent to Arendelle as a prisoner with the goal of stealing the throne once again, he finds that there's a lot more to the Ice Queen than he could have ever expected. To save both Arendelle and Elsa from the chaos of an impending war, Hans must discover what is truly important to him. Hansla.
1. Chapter 1

**Just an idea that popped into my head after the end of Frozen. Hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 1

"He's yours."

And with those words, my life was forever changed.

I stared up at my father, no, the King of the Southern Isles in contempt. The man was definitely no father of mine. As far as I was concerned, we were not related in any way but in name, and had not been ever since I was born. My whole life, I had thought that he never really cared about me, and this was just further validation for what I had always known. That I was nothing to him, and that he could essentially sentence me to my death without so much as a tinge of hesitation.

"Excuse me?" The blonde said with wide eyes. She clearly didn't expect to hear that, and I couldn't blame her. I mean, how often do fathers basically sell off their sons? I mean, the old man was a heartless bastard, so I wasn't really surprised, but still, it must have been a shock to someone who didn't know how the man operated. Trading and bartering was everything in the Southern Isles, and the man who ruled over them was the epitome of that thought.

I suppose that I just never thought that I was the one who was going to be traded. I guess it was funny, in some twisted way.

"Prince-er, I mean, ex-Prince Hans is nothing more than a common criminal, and I'm transferring his crimes to Arendelle, so that you may punish him as you see fit." The King said coldly, not even bothering to look at me. But after what I had lived through, I wasn't exactly hurt by the gesture. I was beyond being hurt.

"I-I see. I will do just that." Elsa stammered, still overwhelmed by the whole situation.

The man nodded, his bristling sideburns shaking with the motion of his head, "As much as I would personally like to punish the scoundrel, I fear that the Southern Isles need my presence. So I'll have to leave him to you. Good day, Queen Elsa."

"Good day, King Andersen." Elsa answered with a curt nod of her own before she turned her attention back to me, her blue eyes boring icily into me. I wouldn't have been surprised if I was turned into an ice sculpture right then and there. But I guess that wasn't exactly in her range of abilities, because I was very much still alive and breathing when I was roughly pulled to my feet by two guards, so that I was standing straight in front of Elsa.

"You definitely have a lot to answer for." She said, eyes darting to Anna, who had been watching the entire exchange with a death glare, which I guess I deserved. It's not like that I really cared though. I did what I had to do, and I don't regret it. In the Southern Isles, I never would have sniffed the throne, but in Arendelle, I was powerful. Even if it was only for a short while, it was worth every lie I had to tell.

If only that damn icecutter hadn't messed everything up, I would be sitting on the throne as the King of Arendelle, instead of being chained up in front of two angry sisters. But, I guess not all was lost, because even though Anna was a lost cause, Elsa was a different matter altogether.

I knew how lonely she secretly was, and I knew that I could take advantage of it. As far as I knew, there weren't a ton of princes lining up to marry the Ice Queen, and that meant that I had a chance, however small it was. As long as I played my cards right, I could still end up on top.

"I know, and I'm ashamed of myself." I answered, dropping my head low, refusing to meet her eyes. Even though I couldn't see it, I felt Elsa's harsh glare softening, if only just a little bit, "I understand if you want to throw me in the dungeons. I deserve it for what I've done."

"Elsa. You know he's lying." Anna said, still suspiciously eyeing me. Well, I suppose she was less gullible than the last time I saw her.

"Believe what you want." I sighed, knowing that my words would give both of them pause. Anything that I could do to take advantage of their collective inexperience as rulers would be key, if I wanted to come out of this as king.

"Take him to a set of quarters for now. I'll decide his punishment tomorrow." Elsa ordered, and immediately, I was being dragged out of the room by a set of burly-looking guards, but not before I glanced back at Elsa with the most vulnerable look I could muster up.

As I saw a pang of sympathy flicker through her eyes, I silently grinned in victory. Maybe I wasn't exactly in the best position of my life, but it was still a hell of a lot closer to the throne than I had ever been in the Southern Isles.

I would thaw the Ice Queen's heart, and make her love me. It was more than I could have done as a lowly prince anyways.

As we exited the doors, I was met by the surprising sight of the King of the Southern Isles, who waved off the guards with a flick of the wrist.

Wondering exactly what was happening, I gulped as I saw the guards make themselves scarce, leaving only me with the king. Was he planning to kill me without anyone seeing? It certainly seemed possible, seeing as how he was a much larger man than myself, with broad shoulders and a powerful physique that came with his years of physical training.

"Hans." The man began, placing a meaty hand on my shoulder, "I'll be honest. I was impressed by your actions when I first heard about them. As talented as your brothers are, I doubt any of them would have been ruthless enough to make a play for the throne in a manner like you."

I flinched slightly. Was the man actually…complimenting me? Well, I guess it was a welcome change from being flat out ignored, but somehow, I felt as if there was something more to his words. He usually didn't freely dole out compliments without reason.

"And that is why I placed you here in Arendelle. We both know that the queen isn't cruel enough to sentence you to death. And beyond that, we both know that she isn't exactly attracting a large amount of suitors." He continued, while I resisted the urge to snort. So t_his_ is what he was getting to. I knew exactly what was coming.

"So that is why I want you to take advantage of the situation like I now know you can. The Southern Isles could use Arendelle's naval force if Weaseltown ever becomes too great of a threat and needs to be put down."

And there it was. As always, my father was thinking of the Southern Isles first, and of me second, but in this case, I suppose it was a good thing. I had already been planning to take over Arendelle, but now that I knew that there would be foreign aid available to me the second I could take power, it made things all the easier.

He gestured to the two guards who had now returned to my side, and only then did I notice that they didn't exactly look like most residents of Arendelle, "I've already placed some of our men in the castle, and they'll help you when they can. Don't disappoint me, Hans. This is your chance to prove yourself. Who knows? If things go smoothly, perhaps a share of the Southern Isles will be in your future. Heaven knows that your brothers could use some more motivation."

And with that, the King turned around to leave.

Well, I had to give the man credit. He certainly was every bit as calculating and cunning as a man of his stature should have been. I knew the story of his rise to power, and how he had risen over his three older brothers to snatch the throne, with nothing but pure intellect.

"All right, let's go." A guard whispered to me, although I noticed that they were being careful not to hurt me as they led me down a hall to what must have been the servant's quarters, judging by the fact that the castle's staff was gathered in the large room, filled to the brim with beds and the servants who inhabited them.

"Your bed is there." The guard informed me, pointing to a lonely cot that was set aside from the rest of the beds, which seemed to be of a much higher quality than what I was getting. As I climbed onto the squeaky mattress, I couldn't help but to miss my comfortable and lavish bed back in the Southern Isles.

Well, things would be changing soon enough anyways. And with that thought comforting me, I fell into the best sleep of my life.

* * *

**Sorry, I know that was short, but I really wanted to just give a brief introduction to the motivations of Hans, since I thought that he was by far the most interesting character in Frozen aside from Elsa. I'm definitely the kind of person to write about political drama, so if that's your thing, be assured, there will be a lot of that.**

**However, I won't write something if no one has any interest in reading, so please, let me know your thoughts in a review or a PM, if you want to see more. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the feedback, guys! I saw Frozen again over the weekend, and coupled with the reviews I got, I found it in me to write up another chapter this week, so hopefully, you guys will enjoy it!**

* * *

Chapter 2

For the second time in two days, I was on my knees in front of an angry blonde with a talent for making icicles and the power to send me to my death anytime she wanted. Never thought that I would ever be saying that in my lifetime.

Thankfully, Anna was missing for whatever reason, probably because of the recent return of the "Official Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer," which was all that the servants could talk about that morning. It was a nice little title that the blonde had carved out for himself, even if it meant that it came with the companionship of a less…intriguing sister. To each his own, but as for me, I wasn't exactly thrilled with Anna's straightforward personality. There was less mystery, and frankly, less going on upstairs.

"So, for the matter of your punishment…I am still debating as to what will be the appropriate consequence for treason against Arendelle should be. It is certainly a serious offense that cannot be taken lightly." Elsa said firmly, a change from her shakier delivery yesterday. Clearly, she had been practicing.

In Anna's place stood a thin man with a neatly combed head of thinning light brown hair. From his dress, he looked to be in a high position, although I did not remember him specifically during the few days when I was in charge of Arendelle, although I suppose it was possible that I had simply overlooked his presence. It certainly would not have been hard with his slender frame and clandestine mannerisms.

The man cleared his throat, gaining both Elsa's and my attention, "If I may, I advise that you make him your personal assistant. His political acumen would be wasted in most roles, and you could personally keep an eye on him at all times while he repays the kingdom through service to you."

I blinked in surprise. What did this man just say?

In confusion, I met his eyes, and as a sense of understanding passed between us, I instantly realized whom he was truly working for. Exactly how many men had ties to the Southern Isles and to my father?

"Fair enough, that does indeed sound like the best option." Elsa nodded in agreement. I resisted the urge to laugh at how easily she had been swayed, because this was an excellent situation for me. Being with her at all times would only make my job easier.

"But," She continued, "On one condition. You must never leave my side, unless instructed, or I will not hesitate to turn you into a Hans-cicle. And trust me, I'm not making an empty threat."

It was definitely a valiant effort to establish her dominance over me. Except that I had serious doubts that she would ever resort to such means. From what I had seen from her so far, she was not normally a killer, although she could be pushed to the brink. As long as I kept myself in her good graces, I doubted that I would ever be in any real danger.

"Thank you for your kindness, Queen Elsa." I answered, making sure to place extra emphasis on the "Queen" portion. I knew that royals loved to hear how powerful they were from experience, and Elsa was no different. At my words, she nodded, and held her head a little higher.

With an air of superiority, she nodded, "Very well, starting today, Hans, you will be my personal assistant."

"Now," She began, turning to her advisor, "I need to have a private word with Hans. Please let us be."

"Very well, Your Majesty." The man nodded and slunk away, but not before giving me another look that was less covert in its intent. There was no doubt about it. The man was definitely in the employ of the Southern Isles.

Once the doors closed behind us, I rose to my feet, interested to hear exactly what Elsa had to say.

"Okay, Hans, you can drop the act. I know that you're acting right now." Elsa sighed impatiently, tapping her foot against the ground as she awaited my response. I weighed my options. On one hand, I could lie to her, but since it was clear that she didn't explicitly trust me, there really wasn't much point to the endeavor.

"What gave it away?" I replied, deciding to come clean with her, for now. If I wanted to gain her trust, I would have to be truthful with her. As someone who had lied to her people for all her life, she knew how to spot a liar. But of course, I doubt she had ever met anyone as good as I was at fabrications.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "People don't just change overnight. Trust me, I should know."

As her words tailed off, I saw a hint of weakness for a moment, but it passed as quickly as it came.

"Well, why did you agree to make me your assistant if you know that I'm just acting right now?" I asked, since she seemed so set on doubting my every action. I knew that she didn't have the heart to kill me, but she didn't have to make me her assistant. Something was up.

"Because I don't trust you enough to put you anywhere besides my side." Elsa said coldly, "I'm not stupid."

"You could put me in the dirt." I suggested, to which Elsa shuddered involuntarily. I guess the thought of killing me had never crossed her mind, "Or are you too scared?"

"I'm not scared!" She answered a little bit too quickly. Yeah, she definitely was too scared. I guess that, deep down, she didn't have any intention of hurting me, even after all that I had done. I guess in a way, it was admirable, but unfortunately, I knew that being admirable didn't often equate to successful rulers.

I knew that what I was going to say was blunt, but she _did _want me to be truthful with her. "Yes you are, but I guess that's why you'll need me. You're going to be dead if you can't make the hard decisions."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She snapped in reply, clearly insulted by my words.

"Let's just say that you were right when you said that people don't change overnight." I sighed, thinking of my father, and the plan he had concocted to forcibly make Arendelle a trading partner. The man was incorrigible.

"And what's this about me not being able to make the hard decisions?" She continued, ignoring my comment from earlier.

"Well, can you? If you can't even be brave enough to sentence me to death, what are you going to do if Weseltown declares war on Arendelle? Are you going to make them your personal assistants too?" I almost screamed in reply, barely able to contain myself. I didn't want to lose my temper, but the way that she had simply assumed that ruling was going to be easy made my blood boil.

I had studied for years under numerous tutors to gain the level of political experience I had thus far, and even then, my skill in negotiation and foreign affairs paled to that of my father and older brothers. How could she have been so naïve?

"I left you alive out of mercy, just so you know. I would appreciate it if you showed some gratitude to me, considering that your father would have been much happier with you in a much different state." She said angrily in reply, jabbing an icy finger into my chest.

Seeing her so mad made me suddenly regret my harsh tone with her. I wasn't going to make her fall in love anytime soon like this. If anything, I was pushing her away. I had to apologize, unless I really wanted to be sent to the gallows.

I ran a hand through my hair as I averted my gaze, "Look, I understand if you want me to go." I replied, eyeing the door.

"Could you go down to the docks? I think they could use some assistance. I just…need a few minutes to myself." She asked as the temperature of the room dropped rapidly and small ice crystals began forming along the large stained glass windows of the throne room.

* * *

I messed up. I know that I messed up, and that I'm stupid, and all of that. Here I was, trying to marry into the throne, and instead, I push Elsa to the brink of screaming at me. Things were definitely not going my way.

"Hello there, Prince Hans!" I waved back politely at the family that had greeted me. Of course, the only reason they were being so friendly is because they had no knowledge of my attempted coup. It had been decided that the public was not to know about my actions, in order to preserve the reputation of the Southern Isles. None of the citizens of Arendelle knew me as anything other than the prince who had stepped up during the Frozen Summer, and that's all that they were ever going to know me as, if things went my way.

"Hello there, everyone." I replied, "I'm sorry for my absence. I had some issues to deal with in the Southern Isles."

Now that was an understatement.

But the people seemed satisfied by my answer, and most of them went about their regular business, expect for an older looking man who I would have assumed was just a normal drunk, were it not for his heavy blue coat, which was clearly that of a sea captain, and his eyes. His eyes, blue as the ocean and deep as a canyon, held the collective experience of a lifetime spent on the sea.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I decided to speak first, "Excuse me, but I couldn't help but to notice your uniform."

"What of it?" The man snorted at me with annoyed eyes.

"Well, you see, I was told to inspect the docks, and I couldn't help but to notice that you seem to be a man of the sea. Would you mind accompanying me? I can make it worth your while." I said, noticing the tattered ends of his coat. He definitely was not into any sort of money, and it would certainly help to bring along someone with experience.

The man hesitated for a moment, before he took a glance at himself and nodded, "All right. But I won't be cheap."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I replied, eyeing the man with distinct interest. Something about him struck me as being incredibly intriguing, and I wanted to find out more.

"So, as you can see, Arendelle has still been actively involved in trade with other countries, although the amount of outgoing goods has lessened with the loss of Weseltown as a trade partner." The man explained as we began strolling along the docks, which were admittedly less busy than the first time I had been here.

"You don't sound like you approve of Queen Elsa's decision to cut ties with Weaseltown." I remarked, noticing the way that the man didn't exactly light up with glee at the loss of a valuable trade partner. I was seriously beginning to doubt the business sense of some of the residents of Arendelle. It was clear to me that, at least inside the walls of the castle, there wasn't much thought put into the economic consequences of taking rash actions.

The man shrugged, "Business is business, as far as I'm concerned. And Weaseltown provided good business."

I subtly smiled at his comment. I was starting to like the way that this guy thought. And from the way that he didn't seem to be in the employ of Elsa, he would definitely be an intriguing piece for me to have.

Once we had finished a round of the docks, I rapped a finger along my chin, "You know, as a newly appointed assistant to the Queen, I am looking to build a staff to keep me as well informed on the kingdom as I can be, and that staff could certainly use a naval expert. Would you have any interest in such a job?"

"Innlose." The man suddenly said after a short pause.

"What?" I asked, confused as to what he was saying.

"Innlose. It's my name. You'll probably want it for the future." He replied.

I raised an eyebrow at his words, "So does that mean that you've accepted my offer?"

"I wouldn't say that. But I'll think about it." Innlose said, turning to leave, now that his job was done. However, before he left, he stopped for a moment, "One question though. Do you think that people are defined by their mistakes?"

"I wouldn't be standing here if I did." I answered, mind instantly going to my failure to take Arendelle. Despite the fact that I was now essentially a prisoner for the foreseeable future, I wasn't about to let that affect me any more than it already had.

"That's all I needed to hear." Innlose said with a nod, before he turned away from me and was gone for good. A bit confused by our last exchange, the thought occurred to me that I should probably return to the castle soon, since I still had the matter with Elsa to patch up.

* * *

As I approached the castle gates, I was met by two servants, one a portly and balding man, the other a large woman with her arms crossed over her chest. Neither of them seemed thrilled to see me.

"Hans." The man spoke. Kai, I think his name was. I vaguely remembered him during my short reign. He never did seem particularly trusting of me.

"The Queen looked upset coming out of the throne room." The woman I distinctly remembered being named Gerda continued, her frown only growing with her words.

Silently, I cursed under my breath. I knew that I had pushed Elsa too far, and now I was going to pay for it.

"We know that the Queen isn't exactly one for punishment, especially after her time being held as a prisoner, by you, I should add." Kai said with a glare directed straight at me, "But our jobs entail keeping her happy. So we'll only warn you this once about upsetting the Queen."

Gerda nodded her head towards the castle, "Now go find her. She's in her bedroom. And I would watch what I say around her, unless you want to find out exactly how many people in Arendelle care for the Queen and wouldn't mind seeing you in the gallows."

Taking her advice to heart, I rushed into the castle and immediately traced my way up the steps to the master bedroom I had used for a few nights as king. This was my chance to try and fix things with Elsa after our earlier exchange, and I couldn't let it slip away. That is, if I had any intention of succeeding in my plans.

"Elsa." I said as I approached the door and placed a finger on the door handle, recoiling at the ice cold metal that greeted me. No answer.

"Please, Elsa. Let me in. Can we talk about this?" I asked while I banged my fist against the door in an attempt to get her attention.

"Back away, Hans. You know that I can still freeze you without breaking a sweat." Elsa warned through the door, not bothering to hide her tone of disdain. Not that I really blamed her. I'd probably be furious too, under similar circumstances.

I grimaced at her threat, because I definitely had no intention of being frozen solid anytime soon, but I was never going to get anywhere with her if I couldn't apologize, "Look, I know you're angry, but this isn't going to work if we can't even talk to each other."

After a long pause, the door swung open to reveal Elsa, arms folded over her chest and icy aura blasting full force into my face. Yep, she was past being upset and now was simply angry. _Very_ angry.

"You were right when you said that I should have had you executed." She said bitterly as her eyes met mine.

"I think you'll find out pretty soon that I'm right about a lot of things." I replied rather cockily. Did I know that it would probably make her annoyed at me? Sure, but that was definitely better than her being mad at me.

As I hoped, some of her anger dissipated, replaced by what was best described as a mix of annoyance and disgust, "Are you always like this? How in the world did my sister fall for you?"

"I have my moments." I replied rather dryly, "So can we talk?"

She uncrossed her arms and walked past me, roughly shoving her shoulder into mine, "Is there anything more to talk about? I can't stand you, and you clearly can't stand me. If we just stay out of each other's way, then we'll be fine."

"Wait." I interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder, which was apparently the wrong thing to do, because the next thing I knew, I had been thrown to the ground, and a blade made of ice was dangerously close to slicing open my neck.

"Don't touch me like that. Like you think you know me. Because you don't." Elsa growled from her position standing above me.

Faced with death, I really had no choice but to nod slightly in agreement, "You're right. I shouldn't have pushed you in the first place…and I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Elsa said softly, almost as if she were talking to herself. After a moment, she retracted her blade, allowing me to clutch my throat, which was a little chilly from the ice, but otherwise unharmed.

"Is there something wrong with me apologizing?" I gasped, trying to catch my breath and to slow my pounding heartbeat.

Elsa shook her head, "No. It's just that I didn't think you were one to apologize."

"What kind of heathen do you take me for? I'm still a prince, you know." I said in a defensive tone, unable to hide how insulted I felt at her words. Just because I tried to steal the throne from her didn't mean that I didn't know when to apologize.

"Ex-prince." She corrected, while I rolled my eyes.

"Don't remind me." I grumbled, hands instinctively going to fix my hair, which had been tousled by my sudden fall.

At this, surprisingly, Elsa cracked a smile and giggled softly at my frumpy tone and hair fixing. Well, it wasn't much, but it was a start, I supposed. She dropped to her knees and sat down on the ground next to me, still smiling all the way.

"You know, I thought about what you said, before I got, you know, all ice crazy." She finally said after ceasing her giggling.

"And?" I asked.

She bit her lip before she finally answered, "And I guess that you were right. I'm not sure that I'll be able to make the right decisions for Arendelle yet. But I guess that's why I have you."

"I'm flattered." I replied.

"Don't get too full of yourself." Elsa replied, "I…I guess that I can put this and whatever else you've done behind me, if you're willing to do the same. I might not necessarily like you, but Arendelle is more important to me than some grudge."

"So I guess that means that you think that I was right about what I said?" I commented rather smugly.

She rolled her eyes, "Look, I'm not saying that you were right…but I'm also not saying that you were wrong."

Well, I was definitely surprised by what she had to say, but I was definitely all too happy to comply with her wish, especially the part about starting over. I was definitely going to leap at any chance for a clean slate with Elsa, "I'm glad to hear it. Because that means that we can start making some serious changes around here."

"What kind of changes are we talking about?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, you'll see." I replied, intentionally remaining vague. For the time being, she didn't need explicit information about my future plans.

My mind instantly went to the advisor that had gotten me this post in the first place, and how quickly I could remove him. While I was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I couldn't have anyone from the Southern Isles reporting back to my father about my activities.

I had grand plans for Arendelle that certainly did not involve me being anyone's pawn, even if the chessboard was large enough to involve most of the world. Of course, I would still do as my father instructed and take the throne. But it would not go the way he had planned, and it would definitely be on my own terms.

Hans of the Southern Isles was his own man, and soon, he would have his own kingdom, if things went my way.

* * *

**So as you can see, I have some big plans for Arendelle in the future, especially with Elsa as its Queen and Hans as her advisor. As for Innlose, let's just say that there's something in the first half hour of the film that he was involved in and leave it at that. For a fic like this, I will likely have to make a large number of OCs, to fill certain roles, which I usually despise doing, as I can't possibly write characters better than Disney. So, if anyone has any suggestions for OCs, feel free to PM me about it. **

**Aside from that, if I still have any readers who want to see this continued, I would definitely appreciate hearing from you guys in the form of a review or PM. If you want to see more, just let me know! Thanks for reading!**


End file.
